Mogherini eyes moves as new EU foreign policy chief

Italian FM says she intends to 'play a political role'

(ANSA) - Rome, September 1 -Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini said in a newspaper interview Monday, about her appointment as EU foreign policy chief on Saturday, "I'm the highest level socialist on the Commission and I intend to play a political role". In an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera, Mogherini said that a diplomatic and not military solution in the Ukraine crisis "is in the best interests of Ukraine, of Europe, and of Russia".

"Putin wasted the opportunity to turn things around, using his influence on the separatists, during the Malaysian airlines crash," Mogherini said. "There's no alternative to diplomacy and sanctions are one of the tools available. But they have to be part of a comprehensive strategy, one that perhaps at times has been missing," Mogherini said. Mogherini, 41, has been Italy's foreign minister since February, and her EU candidacy was strongly supported by Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

Born and raised in Rome, Mogherini attended La Sapienza University and graduated with a degree in political science. Prior to her election to Renzi's cabinet, she headed up European Relations for Italy's Democratic Party (PD), led by Renzi. Responding to doubts regarding her inexperience for the EU role, Mogherini said that her contacts are made up "not of ex-ministers and ex-prime ministers, but possibly future prime ministers" and that she has familiar, informal relationships with several current ministers and prime ministers which she maintains through daily contact and text messages.